It doesn’t matter if you’re the board chair or CEO, or the executive director, preparing for your board meeting is an essential component to ensuring that it is as smooth as it can. While it may be counterintuitive, if you devote the same amount of time to planning a board meeting as you will be spending at it with a well-organized agenda and complete board book can help you save time in the long run as they help cut down on unnecessary side conversations.
It is also easier for board members who are newer or younger to understand the topic and how their contribution to check it out the company’s success is impacted by the agenda items at board meetings. This is particularly helpful for younger or newer board members who might encounter more difficulty following complex discussions than their elder counterparts.
It’s also an excellent idea for each item at the board meeting to be given a rough time limit. This will help keep things moving quickly and avoid board members being shut out prior to the meeting’s end.
Make sure that the day before the meeting that the space is prepared for the meeting and all catering arrangements are in place. Also, make sure that directors who haven’t submitted their annual reports are given an opportunity to submit their reports by the deadline.
Lastly, prepare any information packets that are to be handed out to board members prior to the meeting and review any additional meeting rules. It is best to distribute these packets 48 hours in advance of the meeting to ensure that board members are able to participate in discussions that are informed at the meeting.